Building on success: Chelsea v West Ham preview

With Emma Hayes, and the Chelsea Women getting back on track in the Women’s Super League against a struggling Manchester City, the Blues now turn their attention to the club they were supposed to play to open the season at Stamford Bridge.

New Irons’ boss Paul Konchesky guided his team to a gutsy win at home against a determined Everton side to open the season but ultimately this past weekend, they were only able to muster up one shot on target in a 2-0 loss to Manchester United. West Ham United could be bound for yet another reality check against the three-time defending champions, making each chance that comes the Irons’ way an important one.

West Ham travels to Dartford to take on the London City Lionesses in an FA WSL group stage match on Sunday afternoon while the Blues move into the international break following their clash with the Irons. Beyond a record attendance against Manchester City at Kingsmeadow, CFCW is going to be tested mentally in a contest that can be viewed by many as one-sided.

Still, after the first week of fixtures, it is clear that the competitiveness of this league is at an all-time high. Following the result against Man City, Hayes talked about the toughness of the league this season compared to the previous campaigns, saying:

"“We all want life to be easy but it doesn’t happen like that…Easy games don’t exist anymore so what I’m challenging my group to do is manage hard better…It’s going to be hard but accept it and manage it better, which is what we did today in key moments of the game.”"